CITIC Limited Half-Year Report 2019

96 CITIC Limited Half-Year Report 2019 For the six months ended 30 June 2019 28 Contingent liabilities and commitments (continued) (e) Outstanding litigation and disputes The Group is involved in a number of current and pending legal proceedings. The Group provided for liabilities arising from those legal proceedings in which the outflow of economic benefit is probable and can be reliably estimated in the consolidated balance sheet. The Group believes that these accruals are reasonable and adequate. (i) Investigation into 2008 forex incident Following the Company’s announcement of a foreign exchange related loss, on 22 October 2008, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (the “SFC”) announced that it had commenced a formal investigation into the affairs of the Company. On 3 April 2009, the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force began an investigation of suspected offences relating to the same matter. The SFC announced on 11 September 2014 that it has commenced proceedings in the Court of First Instance of the High Court of Hong Kong (the “High Court”) and the Market Misconduct Tribunal (the “MMT”), respectively, against the Company and five of its former executive directors. The SFC alleged that the Company and the former directors had engaged in market misconduct involving the disclosure of false or misleading information about the Company’s financial position in connection with losses that the Company had suffered through its investment in the leveraged foreign exchange contracts. In the action instigated by the SFC at the MMT, the SFC asked the MMT to (i) determine whether any market misconduct has taken place, and (ii) identify persons who had engaged in such misconduct. In the event that the MMT makes determinations of market misconduct against either the Company or the former directors, it is understood that the SFC will seek from the High Court orders against those who have been found to have engaged in market misconduct to restore affected investors to their pre-transaction positions or to compensate affected investors for their losses. The MMT hearing was completed in July 2016. On 10 April 2017, the MMT handed down its decision determining that, in the publication of the Company’s circular on 12 September 2008, no market misconduct within the meaning of section 277(1) of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) took place. The time limits for appeal of the MMT decision have expired and the SFC has discontinued the proceedings in the High Court by consent. On 15 October 2014, the Secretary for the Financial Services and the Treasury said that the Police’s investigation into the CITIC matters on aspects outside the subject matters of the SFC’s actions are still ongoing. Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements